The Main Causes of the Success of Black Civil Rights During 1865–1965
There is an assortment of reasons and factors that contributed to the development, achievement and success of black civil rights in the years 1865–1965. At the opening of the period slaves had just won their freedom and were wanting to enjoy their newfound equality and to embrace the opportunities they never before had the chance to; they were wanting to experience life outside of slavery for the first time. Due to union measures issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation and Confiscation Acts(1863) officially freed slaves held in the Confederate States as contraband.
Union measures such as this effectively ended slavery, even before the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in December 1865 (which formally ended the legal institution throughout the United States). However, the fact that a new Civil Rights Act was needed by 1965 shows that there was very little achievement as 100 years had passed yet they were still fighting for the equality they were supposed to have already won, their restricted and limited achievement is supported by the presence of the popular white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan, by 1924 they were at their strongest with approximately over 4 million members and their crimes ranged from issuing threats and burning crosses to outright violence and atrocities such as tarring and feathering, beating, lynching, and assassination, these atrocities contributed to the failure of equality being embodied as their mass support and influence proved how although the law had changed many white attitudes hadn’t and they simply didn’t want to cohabit with each other.
The struggle for their rights is supported by key individuals such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, although they both had different methods in relation to fighting for equality their beliefs and motives were arguably the same - the fact that individuals had to take charge illuminates the idea that violent activism made the greatest contribution as in order for them to gain equality it meant that they had to take matters into their own hands and it was their contrasting methods which brought black people together as there was a huge division in their community; many were still fueled with hatred and wanted revenge by fighting back through violence whilst on the other hand others were tired of fighting and just wanted victory through peaceful means, thus meaning that both leaders united the black community as although they were fighting different battles they were all fighting for the same cause.
Other factors such as the significance of the role of US presidents and the importance of the media must be considered as it was their opinions which were key towards the contribution as both had a colossal international platform meaning that they were massively influential; they just needed one opinion to sway from the ‘norms’ of that period to change society's perception of black people. It can be said that whilst individuals were huge contributions to the achievement they were not the only ones and therefore all factors should be scrutinized as there was oppositions which must be considered as they were relevant in driving the individuals movements.
